Pasta With Spring Herbs Recipes

PASTA WITH SPRING HERBS

Steps:

• Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water according to packagedirections. Drain pasta, then toss with mixed herbs, oil, lemon zest and juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, the pepper, and 1/4 cup Parmesan in a large serving bowl. Serve with remaining 1/4 cup cheese on the side.

HOMEMADE HERBED PASTA WITH FETA, LEMON AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• For the pasta: Sift the flours into a pile on a clean work surface. Create a 6-inch well in the middle. Add the parsley, olive oil, eggs and yolks, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper to the well. Whisk gently with a fork. When the center is combined, begin to incorporate the flours into the eggs a little at a time. Once you can no longer use your fork, use your hands to knead the dough. When the dough is shaggy, knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 2. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.
• Roll out the dough, using semolina flour as needed. The pasta should be about 2 centimeters thick. Fold the pasta in half lengthwise, then in half again. Slice into 3/4-inch wide ribbons, or desired width. Shake out the noodles and hold in nests.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it ferociously. Cook the pasta to al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 2 cups pasta water.
• For the feta, lemon and pine nut sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles when flicked across the surface. Add the pine nuts and garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the preserved lemon and 1 cup mint and cook, stirring, for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta water. Allow it to cook down and reduce for another minute. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet, reduce the heat to low and toss the pasta to coat it evenly in the mixture. Add more pasta water if it needs a bit more sauce. Add about 20 turns of black pepper and top with the feta, a few pinches of crushed red pepper and the remaining 1 cup mint. Serve immediately and enjoy.

PASTA WITH HERB BUTTER

Steps:

• Cook linguine according to package directions and then drain.
• Melt butter in large Pyrex measuring cup and blend in remaining ingredients except cheese.
• Place pasta and butter back into saucepan used to cook the pasta in.
• Cook pasta for two minutes until reheated; stir constantly.
• Put cooked pasta into serving bowl topped with Parmesan cheese.

COOL AND LIGHT PASTA AND HERBS

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in the fettuccine, bring back to a boil, and cook pasta over medium heat until cooked through but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.
• While fettuccini is boiling, place asparagus and peas into a steamer insert and place insert over the pot of fettuccine. Steam vegetables until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove steamer insert and drain fettuccine.
• Combine fettuccine, asparagus, peas, basil, mint, parsley, feta cheese, scallions, and olive oil together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

PASTA SHELLS WITH HERBS

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, saute the red pepper and garlic in butter and oil until tender. Drain pasta; add to pepper mixture. Add the remaining ingredients; toss to combine. Serve immediately.

PASTA WITH CREAMY HERB SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a small saucepan, combine the heavy cream, sage, thyme, rosemary, cinnamon and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium and cook until the cream has thickened slightly and is reduced to about 1 cup, 12 to 15 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer. Remove from heat until the pasta's ready.
• When the cream is at the halfway point, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until a minute or 2 shy of al dente. About 3 minutes before draining the pasta, add the greens to the water. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta and greens with a colander and return to the pot.
• Place the just-used colander over the pot of pasta, then strain the infused cream through the colander into the noodles. (Discard or compost the herbs and cinnamon stick.) Add the 1/2 cup pasta water to the pasta, set over medium-high heat, and cook, tossing, until the sauce glosses the noodles, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

PASTA WITH FRESH HERBS, LEMON AND PEAS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large bowl or pasta bowl, combine the herbs, lemon zest, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil.
• When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the pasta. A few minutes before the pasta is done, add the peas to the water. When the pasta is just about al dente, remove a half cup of the cooking water and add to the bowl with the herbs. Drain the pasta and peas, toss with the herb mixture and the cheese, and serve.

FRESH HERB PASTA DOUGH

Steps:

• Wash and dry your fresh herbs. Basil, chives, spinach, arugula, green onion, baby salad greens, or any combination of fresh herbs/greens will work well.
• Coarsely chop the herbs with kitchen shears or a knife. Place in a sturdy bowl and sprinkle with the coarse salt. Use a pestle, dowel or even the handle of a whisk to grind the salt and herbs together into a wet paste.
• Add the flour and eggs to the bowl and mix well. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until a rough dough forms and there's no dry flour in the bowl. The dough will be fairly stiff, and firmer than bread dough.
• Turn the dough out onto your work surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and springy. Wrap well in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes. Note: you may also choose to do this in a stand mixer, or in your bread machine set on the dough cycle. If you use your bread machine, cancel the cycle after about 10 minutes of kneading, and remove the dough.
• Following the instructions on your pasta machine, roll the dough to the desired thickness. Allow the sheets to dry for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting into strips. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Cook the fresh pasta for 3 to 4 minutes, testing for doneness after 3 minutes. Drain the pasta and serve as desired. A simple dressing of melted butter and fresh Parmesan cheese is outstanding, and lets the flavors of the herbs shine through.